John gwynne



(No Model.)

J. GWYNNE.

DREDGING APPARATUS.

No. 552,285, Patented Dec. s1 1895.

ANDREW I GRAHAM. PHOTOUIHQWAS'HIN man:

NITED STATES ATENT FFicE.

JOHN GIVYNNE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

DREDGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,285, dated December 31 1895.

Application filed November 6,1893. Serial No. 490,154. (No model.) Patented in EuglaudDecember 13, 1892, No. 22,913; in France October 25,1893,No. 233,629; in Belgium November 29,1893, No. 107,407; in New South Wales December 29, 1893, No. 4,807; in Italy December 31,1893,LXIX, 319; in Victoria January 9, 1894, No. 11,074; in Spain February 10, 1894, No. 15,347; in New Zealand February 13, 1894,1510. 6,672; in India April 27, 1894, No. 15; in Austria May 19, 1894,1To. 166, and in Russia December 31, 1894, No. 24,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GWYNNE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Hammersmith, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented Improvements in or Applicable to Dredging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has been patented in the following countries: Great Britain, December 13, 1892, No. 22,913; Russia, December 31, 1894, (old style,) No. 24,567; France, October 25, 1893, No. 233,629; Belgium, November 29, 1893, No. 107,407; Spain, February 10, 1894, No. 15,347; Italy, December 31, 1893, No. 319, Vol. LXIX; Austria, May 19, 1894, No. 166; India, April 27, 1894, No. 15; Victoria, January 9, 1894,No.11,074; New South \Vales, December 29, 1893, No. 4,807, and New Zealand, February 13, 1894, No. 6,672.

This invention has reference to improvements in or applicable to dredging apparatus of the kind wherein material such as silt, mud, sand, or gravel is raised by means of water through a suction-pipe connected to a centrifugal pump or equivalent device and equipped with means for agitating the mud by jets of water; and my invention has for its object to avoid difficulties heretofore arising from variations in the nature of the earth to.

be raised and from fractures or derangement of the parts or a clogging of the pipe by large articles, as pieces of rope, drawn into the apparatus. I provide the lower end of the suc tion-pipe with detachable and exchangeable nozzles through which jets of any size desired of water under pressure are forced in such a manner as to disintegrate, break up, or loosen the said material and render it capable of being readily withdrawn through the suctionpipe with the water drawn therethrough. By making the nozzles exchangeable I can easily and rapidly repair damages if a nozzle is broken and can vary the action according to the character of the silt or other material to be dredged.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in vertical section, and Fig. 2 in plan,

the lower end of a suction-pipe constructed with nozzles according to this invention and 5c suitable for connection to a centrifugal pump or equivalent device. Figs. 3 and 4 show in elevation alternative forms of nozzles that may be used.

A is a pipe, preferably of wro ught-iron or steel, forming the lower portion of a pump su ction-pipe. The lower end or mouth of this pipe A is conically enlarged and is provided with a grid or guard B to prevent too large pieces of the more or less disintegrated material being drawn into the suction-pipe.

O is a sheet-metal casing arranged to surround the lower enlarged end of the pipe A, to which it is firmly secured by angle-iron rings 0 O and rivets, so as to form, with the said pipe, an annular water-tight chamber D. Screwed into the upper end of this casing O is a union E adapted to receive the lower end of a flexible pipe F, which is suitably connected to a force-pump (not shown) by which water under considerable pressure can be forced into the chamber D.

G is a perforated metal ring firmly secured to the lower end of the chamber D and serving in the example shown to hold the grid B in place. To the lower side of this ring and in line with the perforations G therein and in the lower side of the chamber D are fixed a series of exchangeable nozzles H, which are consequently arranged in a circular row around and below the mouth or lower end of the suction-pipe A and through which water under pressure can be caused to pass from the chamber D. In the drawings I have shown six nozzles; but it will be obvious that I do not limit myself to this number, as the same may be varied according to circumstances. These nozzles are each fixed at a slight angle to the vertical in order that the water forced through. them shall be directed toward the axis of the suction-pipe A and thereby more effectually break up or loosen the material directly under the grid or guard B of the said suction-pipe. The grid or guard B is confined by means of the ring G, which carries the nozzles. (See Fig. 1.) It can be removed for repair or exchange by simply removing the ring and nozzles, after whiehlthe same or another of a finer or coarser grade can be again secured by the same means. Each of the nozzles may be cast with a flange 1'I,Vas shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines at the left-hand side of Fig. 2, so that it can be fixed to the ring G by means of studs and nuts; or they may be each formed with a screw F and a hexagonal or otherzsuitablyshaped shoulder H as shown in Fig. 4 and at the right-hand side of Fig. 2. Each can thus be attached to the ring G and detached at will. a

The a grid B being at the bottom of the structure serves efiiciently-toprevent the entrance of any obstruction and also distributes the induction of the Water loaded with the earthy matter, so that it inducts with practical uniformity over the whole areal hat I claim isit In a dredging apparatus the combination ing the ring will not only remove the nozzles but will also liberate the guard and allow it to be repaired or exchanged, all substantially as herein-specified;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses H JOHN JGWYNNE. Vitnesses:

CHARLES CABELLA, ARTHUR Woosmim 

